Scotland's vibrant musical scene has spawned several Next Big Things through the years, but the fervor with which audiences are responding to Lewis Capaldi's small-yet-growing batch of songs is a sign that he's the real deal. In March, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter released his debut "Bruises," a stark lament in which he veers between his rich lower range and an aching wail while describing post-breakup devastation. Around the same time, he sold out Glasgow's storied King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, and his song, driven by a palpable passion that fans adore, started racking up streaming-music totals that spotlight a big future.
Capaldi has since released the ‘Bloom’ EP, which fleshes out his sound in directions that recall the soul-pop energy of Adele and the arena-ready anthems of Coldplay. "Fade" flowers into a barroom power ballad where Capaldi is joined by a ragtag choir, while "Mercy" is a simmering hymn, with the singer's pleas goaded by an insistent beat. Thanks to his powerful instrument - when he aches, you ache - Capaldi has made listeners take notice almost instantly, and his ascent from the outskirts of Edinburgh to global pop recognition is only getting started.